"Alexander," Irene whispered.
"You'll be all right. Just get up."
"Alexander!" Tears rolled down her cheeks. "You've got to help me!"
Serena burst into the room with Stephan at her heels. "Mom!" she screamed as she rushed to her mother's side, kneeling down beside her. "What happened?"
"She tripped over something on the floor," Alexander said.
Stephan laughed. "You'd better watch where you're going, Irene." He turned to his father. "Dad, I've got a game on Sunday--two o'clock at Takeuchi Field." His eyes flashed excitedly. "The coach said I'm the most improved player of the week!"
Alexander heartily slapped his son on the back. "I knew you could do it, Stephan We'll go out later and I'll toss you a few."
Serena 's eyes widened. "I can't believe you two. How can you stand there talking about baseball when Mom is lying on the floor in pain? I'm calling an ambulance."
"No. Your mother is fine." He looked at his wife. "Tell her, Irene," he said with a noticeable warning in his voice.
Irene glared at him. "No, I'm not. I think my arm is broken." Her voice broke into sobs.
"Oh, Mom!" Serena cried.
"She'll be all right," Alexander said again. "I'll put her to bed and she'll be fine in the morning."
"No!" Irene screamed. "I need to get to a hospital!"
Lita ran into the room. "What's all the yelling about? Another fight?"
"Alexander broke Mom's arm," Serena stated as she glared at her stepfather with hate filled eyes.
"Oh, right," Stephan laughed sarcastically. "My Dad never touched your mom."
"And just what are you going to tell them at the hospital?" Alexander asked looking intently at her. "How will you explain all of your bruises?"
"I don't know, Alexander!" she shrieked. "I'm in too much pain to think! Just help me!"
"Tell them the truth, Mom--that Alexander did it," Lita said.
"My Dad never touched Irene, you liar!" Stephan yelled.
"You know that he beats Mom and us all the time. You're the liar. You're just afraid of your own shadow, wimp!" Lita yelled back.
"Don't you ever call my son a liar!" Alexander's voice boomed as he grabbed Lita and slammed her against the wall.
"Get your hands off my sister!" Serena cried. She pulled on Alexander's arm.
"I have been good to you two. You are nothing but ingrates. My son has sacrificed so much for you two!"
"No, he hasn't!" Serena yelled. "He has always had everything handed to him. There's always enough money to get him what he wants while Lita and I have to do without!"
Alexander raised his fist.
"Don't you dare, Alexander!" Irene screamed. "So help me, as God is my witness, I'll have you locked up for the rest of your life!"
He lowered his fist as he released Lita, then turned to face his wife. "Don't you ever threaten me!" He walked over to her and bent down until he was eye level with her.
Perspiration trickled down Irene's face. "Please get me some help now, Alexander." She didn't know how she could stand the pain much longer.
He grinned at her. "You need help for your mental problems. I should have you committed, Irene. You're always imagining things," he taunted.
"Whatever you say, Alexander." She sucked in her breath as she turned her face away from his sickening grin.
"Help her, Alexander!" Serena screamed.
"Okay. I'll drive her to the hospital. Now get off my back!" He looked threateningly at Irene. "You'd better be careful what you tell them at the hospital," he warned.
Twenty minutes later Irene sat on a chair in a little cubicle in the emergency room.
"They've got a head-on collision with multiple injuries," Alexander said as he entered the cubicle. "It's going to be quite a long wait."
Irene eyed herself in her compact mirror. The harsh, bright light glared down on her. She patted powder on her swollen and bruised face. She knew that she had once been not so bad looking. She was never what you would call a beauty, but she had always been considered cute. But her looks were now hidden behind this mask of hideous contusions.
"You know what to say." Alexander stared at her.
Irene looked up. "Yes, Alexander," she answered tiredly. She tried to shift to a more comfortable position, but with every movement she made, she winced in pain. She had to take her mind off of her present agony or she would never bear it for however long she had to wait. She knew that her life was a lie. Her whole life had been a lie. She wondered why happiness always seemed to elude her--or worse yet, why she chose men who promised to love her forever, but in the end only hurt her. She thought back to Ben Johnson, her first husband--the father of her children. That seemed like a lifetime ago now.
* * * She sat quietly watching a volleyball game. She didn't notice the tall stranger approaching until he was beside her.
"Mind if I sit down?" he asked.
She gave him a sideways glance. "No." She couldn't tell by his accent where he was from, but she didn't have the desire to find out either.
"Why aren't you out there with them?" he asked.
She turned her head slightly and couldn't help but notice how physically attractive he was. "I'm not in the mood," she curtly answered, wishing he would go away and leave her alone, at the same time hoping he would stay.
He sat down next to her. "I'm not much of a volleyball player myself," he said as he picked at the grass. "So, who are you here with?"
"My sister." She pointed to an attractive, sunburned blonde in the first row.
"Oh, Cheryl. I'm her boss."
"I know."
"Do you have a first name?" he asked.
"Irene."
"Irene Thorpe. Glad to meet you. I'm..."
"I already know. Gene Johnson." Her voice held no emotion.
"What's your problem anyway?" His tone was a little less friendly than it had been.
"I don't have a problem."
"You could have fooled me."
She sighed. "See that guy over there?"
Gene followed the direction of her extended finger. "You mean the guy in the black trunks who's falling all over the redhead?"
"That's him."
"So?"
She smiled. "He's supposed to be with me."
He saw the pain in her eyes and heard the hurt in her voice. "So why do you put up with it?"
"There isn't exactly an overabundance of men around this town."
He laughed. "By the looks of you, you should have no trouble finding a decent guy."
She laughed, too. "Maybe I don't look in the right places."
That was the beginning of what she thought was going to be the happiest time of her life. Gene Johnson literally swept her off her feet. After a whirlwind courtship, they moved to Connecticut, bought a house and settled into a happy routine as newlyweds.
Gene treated her like a queen and there was nothing she wouldn't do for him. As CEO of a large company, he was often away on long business trips for weeks at a time. She kept busy taking care of the house, planting a large vegetable garden, and writing. She had felt odd telling Gene about her writing ambition. She thought he would laugh it off as everyone else had, but instead, he was impressed and had encouraged her. By the age of twenty-one; she had her life mapped out.
But in one short minute, her world fell apart. She was six months pregnant with Serena when while cleaning Gene's desk one day she came across a letter from a woman named Lori Johnson. The letter was intimate and she knew she shouldn't have read it. Gene had warned her not to ever go near his desk, but it was such a mess that she wanted to surprise him. She never expected that she would be the one to be surprised. Her hand trembled as she held the letter. Her chest tightened and her head grew light. She sat down at the kitchen table, still holding the letter in her hand as the hot tears rolled down her cheeks. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut, but her tears pounded against her lids. Like a burst dam, the tears trickled out of her eyes. She popped her eyes open and they once again poured down her cheeks, sweeping away her perfect life and washing away all of her dreams.
That was how Gene found her when he returned home that evening. "What's wrong, honey?" he anxiously asked as he looked at her red swollen eyes and tear-stained cheeks. "Is it the baby?"
She thrust the letter at him. "What's this? Oh, God!" His face grew white. "It's not what you think--let me explain." He laid his hand on her shoulder.
She shrugged him off. "I think the letter is self-explanatory," she said quietly.
He watched as she removed her wedding ring and laid it on the table. Tears glistened in her eyes.
"Irene. . .honey, let's talk about it."
"We're not married, Gene. These past two years have been a lie. And what's worse, you're a bigamist."
"No, you don't understand. Al wasn't a real justice of the peace."
Irene felt as though an arrow had just pierced her heart. "I don't believe it! You were married to someone else, then had a phony marriage to me." She looked incredulously at him.
"Honey, I didn't want to lose you." His eyes filled with tears.
"Get off it, Gene. You were cheating on your wife!" She looked down at her stomach and gently patted it. "You know the funny part?" she asked as she looked into his eyes. "I really thought you were different--someone I could believe in who wouldn't lie to me. But you're no different."
"Listen to me for just a minute," he pleaded. "Lori and I were finished before I ever met you. We just hadn't legalized it. I never intended to get married again." He lamely added the last part.
"Then why weren't you honest with me?" She stared at him. "You know how I cannot stand being lied to. How can I ever trust you again?"
He grabbed her hand. "Honey, please listen. I loved you from the moment I laid eyes on you. If you knew I was married, you never would have gone out with me."
"You're right about that."
"So what choice did I have? It wasn't like Lori and I were living together or sharing the same bed."
"What about the baby? Gene, what if something would have happened to you? Were you just going to let us have a phony marriage forever?" She asked the questions one after the other without giving him a chance to answer.
"I love you, Irene, and I love our baby you're carrying." He affectionately patted her stomach. "I can't say I'm sorry enough. But you have to believe how much I love you. I'll call a lawyer and get a divorce and then we can be married legally. No one has to know." His eyes pleaded with her.
"I see no other way," she quietly answered. "Do you think the divorce will take long?"
"It shouldn't." His eyes brightened.
"I want things to be right before the baby is born. I want our child to be born to us as husband and wife."
"I promise."
But it was a promise Gene could not keep, even though he did everything in his power not to break his word to her. Serena Lynn Johnson came into the world four months before they could legally be married.
Irene busied herself in her new role as mother and rarely thought about Gene's deception. Soon they settled into a cozy routine and were once again the perfect couple.
A little more than two years later, they were once again blessed with a child. Lita Jane Johnson arrived early, barely giving them time to prepare for her entrance. But they welcomed her with the same love as they had Serena.
During Irene's pregnancy with Lita, she hadn't been aware of Gene's withdrawal from her. It happened so subtly that she couldn't even remember when it had begun. Her days and nights had been filled with taking care of Serena, a very active toddler. By the time she fell into bed at night, Ben was usually fast asleep or he was at work until the wee hours of the morning. Because it had been months since she had been able to have sex, Gene's lack of affection had gone unnoticed until she had her six-week checkup. She remembered that night so well.
It was a Friday night, so she knew Gene wouldn't have to go into work the next morning unless he wanted to. And she knew he wouldn't want to after the night she had planned for him. Lita slept through the night now and she knew that by giving Serena an early nap, she would be sound asleep by 8:00.
She prepared an intimate dinner for two in front of the fireplace and set candles on the hearth as well as the table. She showered, and then slipped into a form-hugging black dress that had always been a favorite of Gene's. It clung to her in all the right places. There was no way Gene would be able to hold back all of the pent-up sexual frustration he must have been feeling these past few months. She had worked hard exercising to get herself back to her pre-childbirth days, and her hard work had paid off, as she looked at her sleek, slender form in the full-length closet mirror. In fact, she felt better than she ever had in her entire life. She was firm and well toned.
Gene had called and told her that he would be late, and almost ruined her surprise when he told her he would grab a bite to eat downtown. She assured him that she wouldn't mind having a late dinner with him. He arrived home about 9:00.
She met him at the door and before he had a chance to utter a word, led him silently into the living room. He smiled sheepishly at the table, and then held her away from him for a moment as his eyes rested on her.
"Do you like what you see?" she asked expectantly.
He smiled. "I love what I see."
It wasn't until dinner was over and she had led him to the bedroom that she discovered the reason for his reluctance.
She lay seductively on the bed, enticing him with her eyes. When she got no response, she knew that something was deeply troubling him. "What's wrong, Gene?" she finally asked.
He stuffed his hands into his pockets and turned toward the window. "I know you wanted tonight to be special, Irene." His voice was tinged with guilt and sadness.
"Please, Gene," her voice shook. "Just tell me what is going on with you." She tried to steady her voice.
He sighed deeply, and then turned to face her. She could see the tears in his eyes and feel the turmoil in his voice. "I want out." He said it in a low voice, barely audible above her thundering heartbeat.
Her ears pounded with every beat of her heart. She must have misunderstood him. They had everything going for them. All of their hopes and dreams were now coming true. She was sure that she had misunderstood him. He meant something else, not the demise of their life together. "I don't understand," she numbly said.
He walked over to the bed and sat on the edge, then gently took her hand in his. "I never wanted to hurt you or the kids. You're a great wife and mother."
"But?" she asked as her eyes filled with tears.
"I don't want to hurt you, Irene. That was never my intention." His voice pleaded for her understanding.
She gulped hard, seeking composure. "Is there someone else?" She stared into his eyes but in her heart already knew the answer.
"I don't even know how it happened." A tear slid from his eye.
She had never seen him cry before. "Are you asking me for a divorce Gene?"
He squeezed his eyes tightly shut as though his answer was too painful to allow him to look into her eyes. "Yes," he choked.
A tremor began in Irene's heart and slowly spread throughout her body. She had so many questions that needed to be answered but could not get her brain to send the message to her lips.
"I'm so sorry, Irene." He dropped her hand. "I'll be moving my things out in a few days. But for now I'll stay in the guest room."
Numb, she nodded.
"Sorry for the delay."
Irene returned to the present. She blinked her eyes as though she had just awoken from a deep sleep.
* * * Alexander stood up. "My wife fell in our apartment and banged herself up pretty badly. I think that her arm may be broken."
The doctor looked at Irene. "Hello. I'm Dr. Fellows. I'm on duty tonight, but if you would prefer your own physician, I'm sure that we can get him down here."
"We don't have a family doctor," Alexander said.
Dr. Fellows turned to Alexander. "I would prefer it if you would wait in the lounge while I examine your wife."
Alexander shifted uneasily, and then gave Irene a warning look. "All right."
Dr. Fellows turned his attention back to Irene after Alexander's departure. He frowned. "Why don't you tell me what really happened?" he asked softly.
Irene was surprised at his abrupt change of character. "It's just like my husband said. I slipped on the kitchen floor and smashed my face into a cabinet."
The doctor sighed as he continued to stare at her. He checked her vital statistics, then gently moved her arm. She screamed.
"It's definitely broken," he said. "But I'm more concerned about what's broken on the inside."
He didn't believe her, and she wished she could tell him the truth. But Alexander's wrath would be worse than she could ever imagine if she told what he had done to her. She offered the doctor a weak smile. "I'm just accident prone."
"Uh-huh," he answered. He gently touched the bruises on her face. "You have new contusions over old ones."
Irene's face reddened, but she didn't answer him even though he seemed to expect an answer.
"We'll set your arm, and then I'm going to have someone talk to you."
"Why?"
"Because I see too much of this battering in here every night. Maybe I can help one woman get out of the cycle."
Irene looked into his soft gray eyes and could feel his concern for her. She thought how lucky his wife must be.
"I'll be okay. I'm just clumsy."
"Uh-huh. I just hope I'm not on duty when your next visit here is to the morgue."
"You'll be all right. Just get up."
"Alexander!" Tears rolled down her cheeks. "You've got to help me!"
Serena burst into the room with Stephan at her heels. "Mom!" she screamed as she rushed to her mother's side, kneeling down beside her. "What happened?"
"She tripped over something on the floor," Alexander said.
Stephan laughed. "You'd better watch where you're going, Irene." He turned to his father. "Dad, I've got a game on Sunday--two o'clock at Takeuchi Field." His eyes flashed excitedly. "The coach said I'm the most improved player of the week!"
Alexander heartily slapped his son on the back. "I knew you could do it, Stephan We'll go out later and I'll toss you a few."
Serena 's eyes widened. "I can't believe you two. How can you stand there talking about baseball when Mom is lying on the floor in pain? I'm calling an ambulance."
"No. Your mother is fine." He looked at his wife. "Tell her, Irene," he said with a noticeable warning in his voice.
Irene glared at him. "No, I'm not. I think my arm is broken." Her voice broke into sobs.
"Oh, Mom!" Serena cried.
"She'll be all right," Alexander said again. "I'll put her to bed and she'll be fine in the morning."
"No!" Irene screamed. "I need to get to a hospital!"
Lita ran into the room. "What's all the yelling about? Another fight?"
"Alexander broke Mom's arm," Serena stated as she glared at her stepfather with hate filled eyes.
"Oh, right," Stephan laughed sarcastically. "My Dad never touched your mom."
"And just what are you going to tell them at the hospital?" Alexander asked looking intently at her. "How will you explain all of your bruises?"
"I don't know, Alexander!" she shrieked. "I'm in too much pain to think! Just help me!"
"Tell them the truth, Mom--that Alexander did it," Lita said.
"My Dad never touched Irene, you liar!" Stephan yelled.
"You know that he beats Mom and us all the time. You're the liar. You're just afraid of your own shadow, wimp!" Lita yelled back.
"Don't you ever call my son a liar!" Alexander's voice boomed as he grabbed Lita and slammed her against the wall.
"Get your hands off my sister!" Serena cried. She pulled on Alexander's arm.
"I have been good to you two. You are nothing but ingrates. My son has sacrificed so much for you two!"
"No, he hasn't!" Serena yelled. "He has always had everything handed to him. There's always enough money to get him what he wants while Lita and I have to do without!"
Alexander raised his fist.
"Don't you dare, Alexander!" Irene screamed. "So help me, as God is my witness, I'll have you locked up for the rest of your life!"
He lowered his fist as he released Lita, then turned to face his wife. "Don't you ever threaten me!" He walked over to her and bent down until he was eye level with her.
Perspiration trickled down Irene's face. "Please get me some help now, Alexander." She didn't know how she could stand the pain much longer.
He grinned at her. "You need help for your mental problems. I should have you committed, Irene. You're always imagining things," he taunted.
"Whatever you say, Alexander." She sucked in her breath as she turned her face away from his sickening grin.
"Help her, Alexander!" Serena screamed.
"Okay. I'll drive her to the hospital. Now get off my back!" He looked threateningly at Irene. "You'd better be careful what you tell them at the hospital," he warned.
Twenty minutes later Irene sat on a chair in a little cubicle in the emergency room.
"They've got a head-on collision with multiple injuries," Alexander said as he entered the cubicle. "It's going to be quite a long wait."
Irene eyed herself in her compact mirror. The harsh, bright light glared down on her. She patted powder on her swollen and bruised face. She knew that she had once been not so bad looking. She was never what you would call a beauty, but she had always been considered cute. But her looks were now hidden behind this mask of hideous contusions.
"You know what to say." Alexander stared at her.
Irene looked up. "Yes, Alexander," she answered tiredly. She tried to shift to a more comfortable position, but with every movement she made, she winced in pain. She had to take her mind off of her present agony or she would never bear it for however long she had to wait. She knew that her life was a lie. Her whole life had been a lie. She wondered why happiness always seemed to elude her--or worse yet, why she chose men who promised to love her forever, but in the end only hurt her. She thought back to Ben Johnson, her first husband--the father of her children. That seemed like a lifetime ago now.
* * * She sat quietly watching a volleyball game. She didn't notice the tall stranger approaching until he was beside her.
"Mind if I sit down?" he asked.
She gave him a sideways glance. "No." She couldn't tell by his accent where he was from, but she didn't have the desire to find out either.
"Why aren't you out there with them?" he asked.
She turned her head slightly and couldn't help but notice how physically attractive he was. "I'm not in the mood," she curtly answered, wishing he would go away and leave her alone, at the same time hoping he would stay.
He sat down next to her. "I'm not much of a volleyball player myself," he said as he picked at the grass. "So, who are you here with?"
"My sister." She pointed to an attractive, sunburned blonde in the first row.
"Oh, Cheryl. I'm her boss."
"I know."
"Do you have a first name?" he asked.
"Irene."
"Irene Thorpe. Glad to meet you. I'm..."
"I already know. Gene Johnson." Her voice held no emotion.
"What's your problem anyway?" His tone was a little less friendly than it had been.
"I don't have a problem."
"You could have fooled me."
She sighed. "See that guy over there?"
Gene followed the direction of her extended finger. "You mean the guy in the black trunks who's falling all over the redhead?"
"That's him."
"So?"
She smiled. "He's supposed to be with me."
He saw the pain in her eyes and heard the hurt in her voice. "So why do you put up with it?"
"There isn't exactly an overabundance of men around this town."
He laughed. "By the looks of you, you should have no trouble finding a decent guy."
She laughed, too. "Maybe I don't look in the right places."
That was the beginning of what she thought was going to be the happiest time of her life. Gene Johnson literally swept her off her feet. After a whirlwind courtship, they moved to Connecticut, bought a house and settled into a happy routine as newlyweds.
Gene treated her like a queen and there was nothing she wouldn't do for him. As CEO of a large company, he was often away on long business trips for weeks at a time. She kept busy taking care of the house, planting a large vegetable garden, and writing. She had felt odd telling Gene about her writing ambition. She thought he would laugh it off as everyone else had, but instead, he was impressed and had encouraged her. By the age of twenty-one; she had her life mapped out.
But in one short minute, her world fell apart. She was six months pregnant with Serena when while cleaning Gene's desk one day she came across a letter from a woman named Lori Johnson. The letter was intimate and she knew she shouldn't have read it. Gene had warned her not to ever go near his desk, but it was such a mess that she wanted to surprise him. She never expected that she would be the one to be surprised. Her hand trembled as she held the letter. Her chest tightened and her head grew light. She sat down at the kitchen table, still holding the letter in her hand as the hot tears rolled down her cheeks. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut, but her tears pounded against her lids. Like a burst dam, the tears trickled out of her eyes. She popped her eyes open and they once again poured down her cheeks, sweeping away her perfect life and washing away all of her dreams.
That was how Gene found her when he returned home that evening. "What's wrong, honey?" he anxiously asked as he looked at her red swollen eyes and tear-stained cheeks. "Is it the baby?"
She thrust the letter at him. "What's this? Oh, God!" His face grew white. "It's not what you think--let me explain." He laid his hand on her shoulder.
She shrugged him off. "I think the letter is self-explanatory," she said quietly.
He watched as she removed her wedding ring and laid it on the table. Tears glistened in her eyes.
"Irene. . .honey, let's talk about it."
"We're not married, Gene. These past two years have been a lie. And what's worse, you're a bigamist."
"No, you don't understand. Al wasn't a real justice of the peace."
Irene felt as though an arrow had just pierced her heart. "I don't believe it! You were married to someone else, then had a phony marriage to me." She looked incredulously at him.
"Honey, I didn't want to lose you." His eyes filled with tears.
"Get off it, Gene. You were cheating on your wife!" She looked down at her stomach and gently patted it. "You know the funny part?" she asked as she looked into his eyes. "I really thought you were different--someone I could believe in who wouldn't lie to me. But you're no different."
"Listen to me for just a minute," he pleaded. "Lori and I were finished before I ever met you. We just hadn't legalized it. I never intended to get married again." He lamely added the last part.
"Then why weren't you honest with me?" She stared at him. "You know how I cannot stand being lied to. How can I ever trust you again?"
He grabbed her hand. "Honey, please listen. I loved you from the moment I laid eyes on you. If you knew I was married, you never would have gone out with me."
"You're right about that."
"So what choice did I have? It wasn't like Lori and I were living together or sharing the same bed."
"What about the baby? Gene, what if something would have happened to you? Were you just going to let us have a phony marriage forever?" She asked the questions one after the other without giving him a chance to answer.
"I love you, Irene, and I love our baby you're carrying." He affectionately patted her stomach. "I can't say I'm sorry enough. But you have to believe how much I love you. I'll call a lawyer and get a divorce and then we can be married legally. No one has to know." His eyes pleaded with her.
"I see no other way," she quietly answered. "Do you think the divorce will take long?"
"It shouldn't." His eyes brightened.
"I want things to be right before the baby is born. I want our child to be born to us as husband and wife."
"I promise."
But it was a promise Gene could not keep, even though he did everything in his power not to break his word to her. Serena Lynn Johnson came into the world four months before they could legally be married.
Irene busied herself in her new role as mother and rarely thought about Gene's deception. Soon they settled into a cozy routine and were once again the perfect couple.
A little more than two years later, they were once again blessed with a child. Lita Jane Johnson arrived early, barely giving them time to prepare for her entrance. But they welcomed her with the same love as they had Serena.
During Irene's pregnancy with Lita, she hadn't been aware of Gene's withdrawal from her. It happened so subtly that she couldn't even remember when it had begun. Her days and nights had been filled with taking care of Serena, a very active toddler. By the time she fell into bed at night, Ben was usually fast asleep or he was at work until the wee hours of the morning. Because it had been months since she had been able to have sex, Gene's lack of affection had gone unnoticed until she had her six-week checkup. She remembered that night so well.
It was a Friday night, so she knew Gene wouldn't have to go into work the next morning unless he wanted to. And she knew he wouldn't want to after the night she had planned for him. Lita slept through the night now and she knew that by giving Serena an early nap, she would be sound asleep by 8:00.
She prepared an intimate dinner for two in front of the fireplace and set candles on the hearth as well as the table. She showered, and then slipped into a form-hugging black dress that had always been a favorite of Gene's. It clung to her in all the right places. There was no way Gene would be able to hold back all of the pent-up sexual frustration he must have been feeling these past few months. She had worked hard exercising to get herself back to her pre-childbirth days, and her hard work had paid off, as she looked at her sleek, slender form in the full-length closet mirror. In fact, she felt better than she ever had in her entire life. She was firm and well toned.
Gene had called and told her that he would be late, and almost ruined her surprise when he told her he would grab a bite to eat downtown. She assured him that she wouldn't mind having a late dinner with him. He arrived home about 9:00.
She met him at the door and before he had a chance to utter a word, led him silently into the living room. He smiled sheepishly at the table, and then held her away from him for a moment as his eyes rested on her.
"Do you like what you see?" she asked expectantly.
He smiled. "I love what I see."
It wasn't until dinner was over and she had led him to the bedroom that she discovered the reason for his reluctance.
She lay seductively on the bed, enticing him with her eyes. When she got no response, she knew that something was deeply troubling him. "What's wrong, Gene?" she finally asked.
He stuffed his hands into his pockets and turned toward the window. "I know you wanted tonight to be special, Irene." His voice was tinged with guilt and sadness.
"Please, Gene," her voice shook. "Just tell me what is going on with you." She tried to steady her voice.
He sighed deeply, and then turned to face her. She could see the tears in his eyes and feel the turmoil in his voice. "I want out." He said it in a low voice, barely audible above her thundering heartbeat.
Her ears pounded with every beat of her heart. She must have misunderstood him. They had everything going for them. All of their hopes and dreams were now coming true. She was sure that she had misunderstood him. He meant something else, not the demise of their life together. "I don't understand," she numbly said.
He walked over to the bed and sat on the edge, then gently took her hand in his. "I never wanted to hurt you or the kids. You're a great wife and mother."
"But?" she asked as her eyes filled with tears.
"I don't want to hurt you, Irene. That was never my intention." His voice pleaded for her understanding.
She gulped hard, seeking composure. "Is there someone else?" She stared into his eyes but in her heart already knew the answer.
"I don't even know how it happened." A tear slid from his eye.
She had never seen him cry before. "Are you asking me for a divorce Gene?"
He squeezed his eyes tightly shut as though his answer was too painful to allow him to look into her eyes. "Yes," he choked.
A tremor began in Irene's heart and slowly spread throughout her body. She had so many questions that needed to be answered but could not get her brain to send the message to her lips.
"I'm so sorry, Irene." He dropped her hand. "I'll be moving my things out in a few days. But for now I'll stay in the guest room."
Numb, she nodded.
"Sorry for the delay."
Irene returned to the present. She blinked her eyes as though she had just awoken from a deep sleep.
* * * Alexander stood up. "My wife fell in our apartment and banged herself up pretty badly. I think that her arm may be broken."
The doctor looked at Irene. "Hello. I'm Dr. Fellows. I'm on duty tonight, but if you would prefer your own physician, I'm sure that we can get him down here."
"We don't have a family doctor," Alexander said.
Dr. Fellows turned to Alexander. "I would prefer it if you would wait in the lounge while I examine your wife."
Alexander shifted uneasily, and then gave Irene a warning look. "All right."
Dr. Fellows turned his attention back to Irene after Alexander's departure. He frowned. "Why don't you tell me what really happened?" he asked softly.
Irene was surprised at his abrupt change of character. "It's just like my husband said. I slipped on the kitchen floor and smashed my face into a cabinet."
The doctor sighed as he continued to stare at her. He checked her vital statistics, then gently moved her arm. She screamed.
"It's definitely broken," he said. "But I'm more concerned about what's broken on the inside."
He didn't believe her, and she wished she could tell him the truth. But Alexander's wrath would be worse than she could ever imagine if she told what he had done to her. She offered the doctor a weak smile. "I'm just accident prone."
"Uh-huh," he answered. He gently touched the bruises on her face. "You have new contusions over old ones."
Irene's face reddened, but she didn't answer him even though he seemed to expect an answer.
"We'll set your arm, and then I'm going to have someone talk to you."
"Why?"
"Because I see too much of this battering in here every night. Maybe I can help one woman get out of the cycle."
Irene looked into his soft gray eyes and could feel his concern for her. She thought how lucky his wife must be.
"I'll be okay. I'm just clumsy."
"Uh-huh. I just hope I'm not on duty when your next visit here is to the morgue."